Charles william pinkney



(No Model.)

C. W. PINKNEY. GAS ENGINE.

No. 505,327. Patentedgrapt. 19, 1893.

lllllll//I A 2 sheets-sheen 1.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. W. PINKNEY. GAS ENGINE.

No. 505 327. Patented sept. 19,1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

CHARLES VI'LLIAM PINKNEY, OF SMETI-IWIOK, ASSIGNOR OF TW'O-THIRDS TO GEORGE TANGYE AND GEORGE HANDEL HASWELL, OF BIRMINGHAM,

ENGLAND. g l

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,32*?,dated September 19, 1893.

Application iiled February 18, 1893. Serial No. 462,188. (No model.)

To all whom. `it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WILLIAM PINKNEY, mechanical engineer, a subject of the Queen of Gr'eat Britain and Ireland, re-

siding at 77 Raglan Road, Smethwick, in the county of Stafford, England, have invented certain Improvements in or Connected with Gas-Engines, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates more especially to large gas engines wherein it is desirable to provide means for starting them by one explosion without the repetition of explosions necessary When the gas and air, forming the explosive charge, is at, or about, atmospheric pressure; but it may be used with gas engines of any size.

. According to my invention I place a pump, or equivalent forcing device, in connection zo with the combustion chamber,by which pump, or like device, I can force a mixture of gas and airinto the combustion chamber until there is obtained an explosive charge of a pressure sufiicient to enable the explosion of 2 5 the one charge to effectthe starting of the engine (say forinstance ten pounds to the square inch above atmospheric pressure) and I provide, in communication with the passage by which the mixture isdelivered from the pump 3o to the combustion chamber, or in other suitable place, a passage (which can be controlled by a valve or cock) leading to an ignitor. As thereis already air in the combustion charnber I may attirst force in a strong mixture of 3 5 air and gas and just before the explosion 1s to occurreduce the strength of the mixture being pumped so thatit becomes explosive at V,the time the desired pressure is reached. The

` explosion then takes place and starts the engine by causing an impulse sufficient for the purpose and thereafter the ordlnary supply and ignition arrangements for normal working are brought into action.

A convenient arrangement according to this invention consists of a pump with inlet and discharge valves for drawing 1n the'gaseous .mixture and assing it through a passage to the combust" hamber with which passage the'ignitr'communicates.. The inlet for the 5o gas is preferably vmade through a number of perforations around the seat of the gas and air inlet valve so that the gas and air are properly mixed. The pumpingis continued until sufficient of the mixture of gas and air is forced into the combustion chamber to give the requisite pressure to enable the explosion of the one charge to start the engine. If the mixture iirst pumped in has been a strong mixture the quantity of gas is reduced (by partly closing a cock on the gas supply pipe) toward the end of the pumping to make the mixture in the passage with which the ignitor communicates explosive when the necessary pressure is reached. A relief valve may be provided it being Weighted so as to open when the necessary pressure is reached and give a signal that such pressure is reached. The gaseous mixture will then be ignited and an explosion will occur of sufiicient force to start the engine. When the engine is started the passages from the pump, and .to the ignitor it' necessary, are closed. The closing of the passage from the pump can be effected by holding the outlet valve to its seat, or a special valve maybe provided for the purpose in the passage leading into the combustion chamber. Theppump may be either single, or double acting. And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed more particularly to describethe best means with which I am acquaintedv for carrying it into effect and for that purpose shall refer to the several figures on the annexed drawings the same letters of reference indicating,corresponding parts in all the ftgures. I do not however limit myself to the precise details Which I noW describe and illustrate.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the pump. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the gas and air inlet valves detached. Fig. 4. shows the pump in elevation attached to the combustion chamber of the engine the said combustion chamber being shown in section, and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the pump, combustion chamber and ignition tube. Fig, 6 shows an arrangement which may be applied to the engine to keep the crank in the most advantageous position for starting.

A is the combustion chamber of the engine, B the pump cylinder and C the pump piston, or plunger, connected by a rod D, to a lever E, by means of which the piston is reciprocated in the cylinder B.

F is a valve through which gas and air are admitted to the pump cylinder.

G isa passage leading from the interior of the pump cylinder B to a passage H communicating with the combustion chamber A.

I is a valve between the passages G and H to prevent the explosive mixture forced into the combustion chamber by the pump from re-entering the pump cylinder.

K is an ignition tube preferably heated by means of a Bunsen burner contained in a chamber or chimney L. The tube K is in communication With the passage H and is provided with a screw valve Mopened and closed by means of a hand wheel M2 for admitting, when required, the explosive mixture from the combustion chamberinto the heated tube K to explode the charge to start the engine.

N is a relief valve in the pump cylinder B which valve remains closed'until the required pressure is pumped into the combustion chamber but which will open and allow air and gas to escape to relieve any additional pressure and to notify the attendant that the charge in the combustion chamber has been pumped to the necessary pressure. This valve may be weighted to open only at the required pressure by a spring O compressed more or less as required by means of a screwed plug P. To start the engine the piston and crank of the engine are placed in position most suitable for starting, the combustion chamberA being then full of air at atmospheric pressure. The lever E of the pump is then raised from the position shown by full lines in Fig. liuto the position indicated by the dotted line-E2 thereby raising the piston C in the cylinder B. By the upward movement of the piston C a mixture of gas and air is drawn into the cylinder B the air entering by the passage Q Fig. 3 and the gas entering by the smaller passage R and small orifices f in the valve Seat the mixture passing by the valve F into the chamber S and thence by the passages G2 and Ginto the pump cylinder B, the-said gas and air becoming thoroughly mixed in their passage to the said cylinder. The charge of gas and air thus drawn into the cylinder B by the upstroke of the piston C is, by the descent of the said piston, forced through the passage G and past the valve I into the passage H leading to the combustion chamber A, the inlet valve F, resting upon its seat and preventing the mixture of air and gas from passing back therethrough. Another charge of mixed air and gas is then similarly drawn into the pump cylinder and forced into the combustion chamber, this being repeated until the required pressure in the combustion chamber is reached which will be notified by gas and air under any additional pressure escaping past the relief valve into :the atmosphere or into the exhaust pipe of the. engine. The combustion chamber being thus charged to the required pressure the pumping operation is stopped and the valve M may then be opened by means of the hand wheel M2 so as to permit of a portion of the explosive mixture fromthe combustion chamber entering the ignition tube K which has been previously heated by the Bunsen flame in the'.

the passage G by which the explosive mixture enters the said cylinder and it also presses on the relief valve N so as to force the said valve :from its seat in which position it may be retained by means of a pin U inserted in the rupper hole or holes provided in lugs V on the `pump cylinderB the said pin being over the top of the lever E so as to prevent the said lever and consequently the pistou C from being raised. By thus keeping the relief valve open when the engine is ready to be started,

or while the engine is at work,any of the explosive mixture that may leak past the valve I into the passage G will not acton the underside of the piston C, but will fill the said passage G. Should any of the pressure leak past `the piston C into the pump cylinderV it willY escape through the relief valve N into the atmosphere or into the exhaust pipe of the engine. When the pump is in'useforcharging the combustion chamber the piston C may be prevented from coming into contact with the relief valve N by removing the pin U from IOO the upper hole in the lugs V and inserting it in the lower hole or holes W so that the under side or edge ofthe lever, when the piston C is making its down stroke, will come against this pin and prevent the piston from moving to its full extent so as to drive the valve N from its seat.

Instead of using the ignitor tube K for starting the engine as described the ignitor used for the ordinary working of the engine may be employed for the purpose, in which case before the explosive mixture is pumped into the combustion chamber the passage to the ignitor is closed which may be done by forcing a wedge X between the upper end of the leverY and the Valve Z of the ordinary ignitor so as to force'the valve tightly onto its seat as shown in Fig. 4:. When sufficient pressure has been forced by the pump into the combustion chamber A the wedge X is withdrawn whereupon the valve Z by the pressure in the combustion chamber and the spring a, will be removed from its seat and admit of communication between the charge in the combustion chamber and the ordinary ignition tube in the holder b to eect the explosion' of the compressed charge and start the engine. The

1 the outer end of the ignitor tube which passage may be opened, when the valve Z is released, so as to allow the inert gas to pass out into a chamber, or into the outer air.

In small engines, when the crank of the engine has been placed in the most advantageous position for starting, it is important` that means should be provided to prevent it from being moved out of this position by the pressure of the mixture being forced into the combustion chamber and a simple arrangement for this purpose is shown in Fig. 6 in which g is an arm or lever centered at h to the frame or bed plate of the engine. To the outer or free end of the arm g is hinged another lever t' the front end k of which 1ever is curved, or of hooked form, to engage a stud Z (projecting from the cheek of the crank m) when the said crank is in the most advantageous position for starting. The rear end of the lever t has a recess fn, containing a spring o which bears on the arm or lever g, the said spring being of sufticient strength j to keep the end 7c of the lever t' engaged with l takes place.

the stud Z on the crank until the explosion When the charge is exploded the spring o yields by the force of the explo'- sion acting on the crank so as to release the said crank, the arm g then falling to the position shown by dotted lines. It may be held by a spring clamp p by which it is prevented from rising.

Having now particularly described and asce1-tained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what l claim isl. In a gas engine the combination With a passage communicating With the combustion chamber, of a pump or similar device, an inlet valve between the pump and communicating passage for admitting a mixture ot air and gas, and a relief valve connected with the pump, operated by excessive pressure therein when the pressure of the mixture in the cornbustion chamber reaches a certain predetermined limit, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a gas engine of a pump or forcing device for the purpose described, and a relief valve, and a projection on the piston of the forcing device for opening the said valve and means for keeping the said valve open when the `engine is to be started or is at work and for preventing the said projection opening the said valve when the `pump is forcing in the starting charge substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. In a gas engine the combination with means for forcing a starting charge into the combustion chamber, of the crank arm, and means for holding the latter in the proper position for starting consisting of a rod carrying a spring actuated catch engaging a projection on the crank arm'whereby the latter is released upon the explosion of the starting charge, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofl I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES WILLIAM PINKNEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES RoBsoN, 48 Linwood Road, Handsworth.

EDWARD J. HODGKINS, 208 'Westminster Road, Hemelsworth. 

